Seahawks Free Agent Primer: Phil Haynes Returning?

Though he started only three games, Phil Haynes logged a career-high in snaps rotating with Gabe Jackson at right guard for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. Did he do enough to earn another chance to battle for a job in the trenches?

On the heels of a surprising 9-8 season that culminated in an unexpected playoff berth, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of roster questions to address heading into another important offseason as they continue their quest back to Super Bowl contention.

When the new league year opens on March 15, Seattle will have 23 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Three players will be restricted free agents and five will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as linebacker Uchenna Nwosu will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.

Over the next several weeks, we'll break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2022 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2023.

After gaining valuable experience in a rotational role at right guard with veteran Gabe Jackson last season, could Phil Haynes still be part of Seattle's future in the interior of the offensive line?

Season In Review

Brought back on a restricted free agent tender after playing well late in the 2021 season, Haynes saw at least 20 offensive snaps in 14 out of Seattle's 17 games in a rare platoon with starting right guard Gabe Jackson. Logging a career-high in snaps after battling injuries in his first three NFL seasons, he yielded four sacks and 18 pressures on 332 pass blocking reps while only playing 153 run blocking reps on the season.

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

While Pro Football Focus didn't give him a favorable grade in the run blocking department and he ranked 52nd out of 87 qualified guards with at least 100 snaps, Haynes helped the Seahawks find great success on the ground in a pair of starts in Week 6 and Week 7. Filling in for a banged up Jackson, he created consistent push at the line of scrimmage and used his athleticism to make key blocks at the second level, allowing rookie Ken Walker III to explode for 264 yards and three touchdowns in wins over the Cardinals and Chargers.

In his three starts, Seattle averaged 117 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry, going 3-0 in those contests. Even in limited opportunities, Haynes proved to be a far more consistently effective run blocker than the aging Jackson and with less than 650 offensive snaps under his belt, he still has plenty of room to develop if given the opportunity to play.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Taking a bit of a step backward in pass protection after showing well in a pair of late season starts in 2021, Haynes saw his pass protection efficiency drop from 99 percent to 96.4 percent last season, which ranked 69th out of 84 qualified blockers according to PFF. Some of this decline can be attributed to a substantial increase in playing time, but he endured far more struggles keeping defenders away from the quarterback, casting concerns about his viability as an every down starter.

Like his first two seasons, Haynes also couldn't make it through the 2022 season without dealing with an injury, suffering a high ankle sprain in a Week 17 win over the Jets and missing the season finale as well as wild card loss. Durability has been a major problem for the former Wake Forest standout since he entered the league in 2019 and prevented him from truly competing for playing time earlier in his career before Jackson arrived.

Ideal Contract

One year, $2 million

Prediction

Flashing promise as a pass protector and run blocker in spurts at both guard spots, injuries and inconsistent performance have kept Haynes from fulfilling his potential through four NFL seasons. Due to his youth - he will turn 28 years old next October - coupled with limited playing experience, there's reason to believe he could still develop into a quality starter in Seattle if granted the opportunity.

How the Seahawks choose to proceed with Haynes could depend on what they opt to do with Jackson, who will be entering the final year of his contract and carries a hefty salary cap hit. If the team cuts him before free agency to open up more than $6 million in cap relief, Haynes likely would be brought back on an affordable one year deal to compete against a rookie for the starting right guard job next summer. If Jackson is retained, however, Haynes may be inclined to pursue a better chance to compete for a starting role elsewhere.

Previous Seahawks Free Agent Primers

Rashaad Penny | Poona Ford | Austin Blythe | Cody Barton | Geno Smith | Bruce Irvin

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